inter nos
by A.L. Tanis
Summary: They are a secret. [1xR]


Inter Nos

_- between ourselves - _

Silence was something that she had grown accustomed to when it was just them. She did not disapprove of it, no, not at all, mind you. She looked forward to it, actually. It was quite the stark contrast to everything else she had to deal with every day. When she came home to find him sitting in the kitchen drinking a large cup of water after a hard day of work, she was honestly glad. He would always look up at her with a small smile and she would always return it with one of her own. It was routine for them. Moreover, even after ten years of doing so, she never grew tired of their habits.

Once again, they were within their usual bubble of peace and quiet. They rather enjoyed it, basking in the brilliance of their stillness while she combed her honey locks and he sat against the headboard of the bed with a knee up and his elbow resting lazily on it. When she had decided to finish her hair, she placed the brush beside her and turned around to face the man that had always seemed like so much more than just a simple man. He had already been staring at her, his mystifying Prussian blue eyes appearing much like a raging ocean in the light of the lamp that sat on the nightstand next to him.

Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of his beauty. He had chosen to wear the deep cobalt suit that she had suggested him to adorn that evening. She remembered mentioning that it matched his eyes. His silver tie was slightly loose and he had unfastened some of the buttons of his undershirt, revealing the dark complexion of his skin underneath. Whereas his chocolate shock of hair always seemed to be unkempt, tonight he had unusually decided to tame it somewhat.

The honey blonde blushed and looked away from his wise stare. He seemed to pay her analysis of him no mind as he asked quietly, "Do you have any regrets?"

The woman blinked, appearing to think over the subject of his question before answering, "No."

He hardly nodded in acceptance to her answer. He turned his head, almost ashamed to look at her. "People will talk."

She sighed and stood from her place at the foot of the bed and made her way over to him to fix his opened shirt and clumsy tie. "Let them. They will only believe what they want to believe, no matter if it is right or wrong." He did not reply, which suggested that he understood her reasoning and had agreed with it. After she finished his appearance, he stood and walked beside her toward the door of her bedroom. He grabbed the doorknob, ready to release her into the outside world that he feared too soon would taint her in her own blood, but, instead, turned to face her. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her intently. She tilted her head to the side and he vaguely heard her ask, "Is there something wrong?"

Gathering up the courage he had discovered he lost within her presence, he leaned down and almost kissed her on the forehead but ultimately decided not to. He chose to stare into her eyes, trying to reach the most secret of trenches in her soul. Eventually, he muttered, "Whatever decision you make, I will stand beside you."

One of her truly sincere, radiant smiles graced her face and she placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "Thank you."

With that, they stepped from their present haven to the outside world that threatened to tear them apart. Together they walked down the darkened hallway of her empty mansion, hand in hand, soul by soul, heading towards her political demise. Of course the world wanted to know their secret, their painful, ever so blissful secret. It wanted to shed her of her grace and valor, but she knew that if that were to ever happen, he would easily shed his for her to replace what she had lost. He was her single string of hope that dangled her to the floor of the Earth, to the people she was reminded of day after day that she needed to save.

Together, they decided their painful, ever so blissful secret would be kept just between them.

* * *

a/n: Relena and Heero forever. :) 


End file.
